


Made By Moonlight

by BlueEyedArcher



Category: Far Cry 5
Genre: Emotional Baggage, Enemies to Friends to Lovers, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Angst, Forbidden Love, Hurt/Comfort, Little Mermaid Elements, M/M, Merfolk AU, Merman Jacob, Merman Jasper, Past Abuse, Permanent Injury, Slow Burn, Smut
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-08-07
Updated: 2018-07-31
Packaged: 2019-06-19 03:02:21
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,015
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15500883
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/BlueEyedArcher/pseuds/BlueEyedArcher
Summary: When the Blue Moon passes over the Ocean, the merfolk gather to give tribute to Triton and thank the god of the sea for their colonies' prosperity. But one mischievous merman has other plans when the tides rise and the moon comes out. While the merfolk sing the songs of the sea and call out to their gods to rejoice another fruitful year, Jasper finds a curious being who has fallen over ship and comes face to face with the forbidden presence of a human, smitten with the odd beauty of the people from the surface, he is quickly swept away into their above surface world. Despite Jacob's warnings against the dreadful beings.





	Made By Moonlight

**Author's Note:**

> I wrote this piece a while back and haven't had a chance to post it since I've been moving and without internet. I also have another piece in the works that will be a series of Merfolk stories that feature just Jacob and Jasper's relationship and how they met. So keep an eye out for that, it should be up soon. Thank you for your patience and please let me know what you think in the comments below.

Sunlight cast golden rays that danced across the sandy shallow floor of the ocean, glistening shrapnels of light that was reflected back in colorful murals from broken glass. The bits smoothed over by the currents and polished to a clear shine that resembled jewels barely concealed by the soft sands. The minnows and smaller bait fish darted between coral croppings and rocky ledges that peppered the shortline and the outreaching cliffs breaking up through the water’s surface to catch unsuspecting ships on their way into Hope Harbor. The water was warm for the time of year, with cooler undercurrents sweeping through that jetted them out further into the open waves, the land dropping off to a frigid depth that taunted even the boldest of divers to dare a peek into the curling shadows and ear popping pressures.

 

There, where the darker depth’s dwell, large forms swam like bullets through the heavy waves. Their bodies moving with fluid grace as they chased after larger prey. Several scaly figures darted from the rocky face that bordered the drop off to rise up after the silvery fish that schooled in swarms near the surface, dancing amidst the waves and catching fractals of the afternoon sun. “Stay in formation!” The voice boomed through the water, a high pitch echo that scattered through the particles as super sonic signals to the rest of the hunting party. A large figure that rivaled the size of a Great White Shark with all the power of one to back it up, oversaw the hunting party. Eyes as blue as glacier ice and red wisps of hair swaying in the waves with the same fiery scruff obscuring his jawline, his long powerful tail was coated in scales as green as kelp, offering a natural camouflage for the predatory merman.

 

His perfect sharp teeth glinted in amusement as he watched his personal pet close in on the flank of their prey. A slender dolphin like frame drilled through the water like a bullet, black scales covering his tail and fins, catching the fractured light above as he corralled the school of fish towards their own nets. Blue hues dancing in vertical streaks down his sides. The split tail had a wavy electric blue design that fluttered. Raven hair swirled around sapphire blue orbs as they were set intently upon their intended prey. Two more streaks of grey helped cut off any attempts at escape as the pet ushered the fish into the nets, sealing the lines off to prevent any escape.

 

He shifted his direction, his fins rotating just enough to barrel roll up and away from the net as his powerful tail surged him forward. He arched back around and looped his way back to the behemoth of a merman who awaited his pet’s return. A strong hand brushing through the smaller merman’s hair in warm praise. “Good boy, Jasper.” Jasper greeted the kind words with a less deadly smile of his own. His cheeks smattered in freckles adding the innocent playful appearance that followed his dolphin like form. His tail flicked as he curled around the larger merman, deep blue eyes fluttering softly as the hand dropped to caress his cheek.

 

Unlike Jacob and other merfolk who could speak to one another both underwater and above the surface, Jasper was rendered silent by unknown causes. Nobody attempted to find out way, perfectly content to adapt to his needs. Speaking the language he had adapted to himself, using his body with fluid expression. The way his lips tilted up and the light fluttering of his eyes. The way he held his body, the curve and twitch of his tail. Even the way his fins were directed, where the little white tips were aimed like snow capped rocky peaks in winter. Jacob praised him with another gentle pat before the firm hand dropped to touch his upper back, urging him along beside him as the others in their hunting party carried their quarry back to their home.

 

Down into the darker depths where the cold clung to their scales with a static chill and their eyes cut through the darkness like nocturnal predators. They continued until they reached a rocky opening, pressing into a tunnel system that stretched through the sunken island like cliffside, navigating a familiar labyrinth of tunnels until they reached an open watery valley thriving with coral protrusions and plantlife. A forest of kelp and seaweed rising on either side as they pressed on until they reached an underwater metropolis.

 

It took a few centuries to build but the living organism that had become their home was a beautiful array of colors and life. Like the great coral reef only magnified in size to possibly even fit whales through the open rocky arches. There were bubble like openings in the rocks that harbored places for the merfolk to call home, little cubbies where they found comfort in to call their own. Some were larger than others and offered spaces for multiple organisms to reside in. Others were small and produced spaces for brief breaks for those eager and on the go. Jasper was one of those types, always moving about and keeping himself on the go despite the pleading of those around him to stay within the colony or closer to his handler.

 

The rest of the hunting party went off to prepare their haul for the later feast, a preparation for the coming celebration. With every full moon to pass, they offered prayers to the mother of the ocean for guiding them safely through another year and soothing their trying times. A blue moon was rising tonight and the tides would rise with the calling. There will be a feast in celebration but first, a ritual as was tradition. It wasn’t anything super serious. Only the elders of the colony took it seriously while the rest saw it as a chance for food and merriment. Jasper always saw it as an excuse to swim to the surface and watch the moon cast silvery shadows across the sea. They illuminate the shallows in her beauty.

 

It was one of the few times he could get away with this without the threat of being punished for going where humans would see. With the moon coming, the skeptical fishermen from the Harbor stayed put on land, fearing dangerous tides and the songs of sirens from the rocky cliffs. In truth, there were no sirens. Only the echoes of celebration, high pitched and rising to the surface after bouncing off the rocks and tunnels. With the water level rising, the sunken island they inhabited carried their voices further through rock and the labyrinth of tunnels to places that reached the surface land. No call of the merfolk has ever harmed or entranced a human like some magical spell. Only the easily distracted minds of man were to blame for that.

 

Jasper's own delight was focused not on the feasting and celebrating bit on the distraction both of those would offer. He intended to spend the night gazing at the moon and swimming beneath those silvery pools of light. To feel the cool energy it offered, a sudden static excitement that fills the entire ocean so that every organism is humming with energy. It was a rush he adored, knowing the closer he is to the surface, the more his scales will feel. He shivered, his scales already quivering with anticipation. Tonight felt big and important. Something he didn't want to miss as if the sea were offering whispers of the coming future to him. A sense that hasn't gone unnoticed by the others.

 

A warm hand landed on his upper back as Jacob rumbled out an inquiry. Jasper's innocent features offered little to hide his true feelings. He was an open book with his heart stitched on his scales for all to bare witness to. The little glints of mischief in his eyes were as clear as polished ocean glass, drawing the usual stern and concerned look from the behemoth merman. “Stay close tonight pup. This time feels off. Don't want you getting caught in a bout of trouble again, right?”

 

 _‘Again._ ’ Jasper shuddered. _‘Okay, the jellyfish fiasco was not his fault.’_ His eyes glanced over the visible patches on his fins where old burn marks remained after the whole ordeal. He swore, he will never go near a jellyfish again for as long as he lives.

 

The look in Jacob’s icy eyes were a knowing sign that he knew exactly what was on his pup's mind. His lips pulled into a dangerous smirk as his fingers gripped Jasper’s shoulder a little tighter, pulling him snug against his side. “Be a good boy tonight. No trouble, alright?” Jasper nodded his affirmation, watching Jacob quietly as those eyes scrutinised his pup's honesty.  “If it all goes smoothly, I'll have something waiting for ya back home as a reward. How's that sound?” The low rumble made Jasper’s scales tight with a fluttering warmth pulsating in his chest. His cheeks flushed with a tinge of pink as he nodded his understanding once again. Jacob purred a soft. “Good.” Before pressing his lips to Jasper’s forehead. A quick gesture of parting before the shark sized merman swam off towards the center of their island to continue preparations.

 

Jasper turned to leave, cut off by the large slow moving forms of the young Orca in the early stages of training to join Jacob’s hunting pack. The larger merman took in the Orca while they’re still young pups and raises them with a handler. The merfolk responsible for them also becomes the one to handle them during their hunting pack formation when they take on larger prey. Today the prey was too small and important for their feast to waste time with training a new Orca. He watched as the massive mammal moved on towards the center of the island. He could imagine they were also going to be prepared for the ceremony. Draped in elegant pearls and colored shells, pulling banners with them as they lead the merfolk to the ritual pools. They were much shallower and reached out on the enclosed rocky areas where the moonlight was filtered through into direct beams. The pools were through a series of large caverns and were said to be sacred. Only during ceremonies were they allowed through, even then it was only the Chosen.

 

Jasper didn’t consider himself among those Chosen few, despite being in Jacob’s pack. He was too young to join the ceremony in any important part and he also couldn’t speak which seemed to be a required trait. The long winded speeches and posturing quickly got old after the second year. He shook his head, disbanding the thought as he waited for the coast to be before slipping back out towards the tunnels leading to the harbor. He swam more warily, his eyes sweeping from side to side to ensure he wasn’t being followed, even taking a harder route through narrow rocky protrusions that larger merfolk couldn’t fit through to pursue.

 

When he was just a minnow, he would hide from larger predators in those narrow tunnels, or just when he needed time away from the Colony. Back then, his brother Angelo would come looking for him or most recently, Jacob though the larger merman could never reach him. It never stopped him from hovering just outside the entrance, speaking softly and coaxing him out and back to their home. When he reached the proper age, Jacob brought him into his pack, ensuring Jasper had a place where he belonged. A niche he fit into that was purposeful and fulfilling. Jasper’s addition increased the success of the Pack Hunting almost instantly, with his speed and split second accuracy, he could do what the larger merfolk couldn’t.

 

It made Jasper happy but it didn’t stop his longing for something different. Nor did it deter him from his less then appropriate interests in the nearby fishing village and trade harbor. Humans were a blight upon their oceans, leaving their litter and wreckage all over. It was dangerous and unpredictable, allowing them to spread into territory they shouldn’t be able to reach. Jasper didn’t see the danger in it. Humans would splash around in the shallows but never did they travel to the darker depths unless they had their special little wooden crafts that float on water. They were magnificent, especially when they were lit by lantern light and bright colorful banners. They had colors and accents that he didn’t get to see down in the ocean depths. Even their garments were brilliant and truly wonderful. Something of which he adored especially.

 

Once he was certain nobody was following him, he made a quick loop around and swam up along the rocky face that reached the edge of the drop off. He cleared it, heading towards the shallower portions of the waterway where sandbars rise and fall with the tides. It had enough covering it right now for Jasper to glide over it, flattening himself out as his fins broke the surface with their white peaks catching the late evening sun. Night was coming quickly and he was ecstatic, brimming with the sudden desire to burst through the waves like his dolphin forebears and share his excitement but knew it was frowned upon in daylight. Not when humans were nearby. It was a highly tempting idea though if it got him closer to the beings he marveled at regularly.

 

He swam carefully to a secluded section of rocks, nowhere near the sandy shores that the humans wander across but tucked just far enough out of view of any passing ships or small fishing boats. The rocks were smoothed over by the crashing waves and rising tides, warmed over by their exposure to the sun as he slid up on the slick algae covered edges to sprawl out where it was warm and comfortable. He stretched his tail, curling the edges with a high pitch whine in his throat before relaxing back. His scales glistening in the sunlight with an ebony and sapphire hue, the sea spray keeping him moist and cool as the waves lapped over him. His webbed fingers gripping the rock to keep from being pulled off of it while he bathed in the warmth waiting for nightfall.

 

Several hours of seal napping and flicking away any interested seagulls who chanced a pass over him and the moon was rising high into the sky. The night air had cooled substantially, leaving only the lingering warmth of the rocks to keep his scales warm. He yawned, flashing his sharper teeth before sliding off the rock into the water, back arching to bob back up to the surface as his tail gave a singular strong wave. His eyes scanned the horizon, expecting the uninterrupted view of the moon casting its silvery rays upon the crystalline expanse of water. The stars were a beautiful smattering of delicate twinkling jewels, like pearl dust cast across a velvet backdrop. His eyes narrowed at the darkened shape that slowly edged its way out of the harbor. Lanterns lit up all around it, hanging from posts as it pushed on to the open ocean. Jasper frowned, knowing full well humans don’t dare enter the sea at night, let alone when its a Blue Moon. At least, these humans don’t. There were plenty of local superstitions that forbade it, mostly blaming the “sirens”.

 

His curiosity out won his rationality as he started a leisurely swim towards the ship, watching as it banked and started a slow glide around the coast. Jasper trailed along after it, hearing the faint sounds of singing in the distance. Not of human origin but that of his own people. The ceremony had begun. The voices rose, like a whistle on the wind before it twisted and lulled. He could hear the distant voices of the ship crew murmuring their warnings. This ship wasn’t like any merchant vessel he had witnessed sailing through the area. This one had special red banners with golden embroidery on them. They were marked with a fancy crest that Jasper couldn’t quite make out, it looked like a type of plant but wasn’t anything he’s seen in the ocean before. He picked up his pace as they reached the edge of the rocky outlier, cutting it close to the cliffsides where the waves and tides were strongest. Jasper knew well a potent undercurrent resided that could claim even the best swimmers that wandered too far from shore.

 

There were more voices rising on the ship deck. A deep male voice, angry and explosive and then a softer feminine tone that captured Jasper’s attention. It was a voice he’s heard near the shoreline before when he’s mustered enough courage to swim close to the shallows and lurk beneath the docks. He hasn’t gone back in a long time, not since someone saw the white tip of his fins breaching the surface and called him a shark. No offense to Jacob, but Jasper didn’t like being considered a man eating beast.

 

He continued to tail the ship, even as it listed a little too close to the rocks. Nothing about the way the ship was being steered felt normal to him. He had spent many days watching these ships pass in and out of the harbor. From big ships to the small little ferry boats. He knew that big rocks meant danger for anyone who was on those vessels and this didn’t feel right at all. His suspicions were confirmed when he heard a sudden scream, something red and black was thrown off the side of the ship, dropping low into the strong current that swept it under the ship and back towards Jasper.

 

He barely noticed the shadow moving under the surface as it was pushed by, a flash of white flailing and the sensation of immense fear welling up and striking through him. He jolted into action, turning around with a quick snap of his tail and submerging himself into the current. His tale jetted him forward towards the blur of red that whipped about. It was rough controlling his direction with so much speed and pressure forcing him down but he utilized his years of training under Jacob as he caught up to the figure, arms wrapping around the dainty form as he barrel rolled out of the stream. It caught his tail upon exit and whipped him around into a jarring topsy turvy roll that disoriented him for a minute. It took him some time to catch his bearings, using the strong rays of moonlight to guide him to the surface where he burst through with his collected prize.

 

His webbed fingers brushing aside the fiery head of red hair that was draped across fair features. The woman’s eyes were closed, her slender body battered and bruised, both by the current and whatever else happened upon that ship. It still didn’t take away from her beauty as he marveled at her. He pressed his ear against her chest, cheeks flushing a soft pink as he noticed her garments were slipping down, wrangled into a mess from the ordeal. He was relieved to know she was breathing, a little victory he counted as a blessing from Triton. It took a little more effort to swim with her in his arms towards a secluded beach young children often sneak off to to swim and play in the shallows. He pushed her body up as far as he could, using the higher tides to propel himself forward without beaching himself in the process. Not that he wouldn’t be able to get back to the water, but the ordeal exhausted him, fighting the undercurrents.

 

The woman appeared to be young like himself, her skin was darker, a more tropical tan that was common in fishing villages but her hair, it was as red as the banners that were displayed on the ship. His webbed fingers brushing over the long unruly strands, pausing in brief moments to adore their coloring. He watched the slow rise and fall of her chest, ensuring she was still breathing. His eyes roamed from their to the elegant and water logged attire she was dressed in. A long black gown with flowing skirts and a red sheer fabric wrapped carefully around her shoulders and upper arms, giving her the look of a jellyfish as she swayed and moved. With the moonlight catching the dark fabric, it shimmered and took on an ethereal glow that reminded him of deep sea jellyfish, vibrant, beautiful and deadly. The long and wild red hair didn't soothe that vision he had of her. Suddenly making him reconsider his thoughts on the alluring yet dangerous creatures.

 

His tail curled thoughtfully as he admired her sleeping form. The static buzz that had filled his veins earlier was burned down to an idle hum, a high that fizzled after the sudden burst of activity. He laid on his belly, arms folded under his chin as he tucked her closer to his side to watch her until she woke. The soft hush of waves lapping at his fins, the sea spray dampening her bare feet and the edges of her expensive looking gown. His bright blue eyes catching the silvery light of the moon as he tilted his head to the side, watching her eyes flutter briefly, exposing the pale blue orbs that blinked their bleary vision. He perked up excitedly, his head bobbing as he offered a sharp toothed smile. He watched her eyes blink, observed as she pushed herself up to gather her bearings, one hand rising to brush her sand speckled hair out of her face. It took her a minute to catch up to her surroundings as her gaze landed on the anomaly that rested beside her.

 

A sudden high pitched sound escaped her throat causing Jasper to jolt away, startled as well. His smile faltered as his blue fin like ears folded back, tucking away behind his raven hair as he meekly put space between them. He raised a webbed hand up to calm her and watched as her eyes followed his every move. It wasn't necessarily frightened but it was wary. Her brows creased as if taking in the predicament she was in and the oddity that was before her. She touched her lips with her hand, thoughtful in the action as if she meant to speak but held back, assuring she thought through her words before sharing them. Jasper waited patiently, giving her all the time she needed until she was comfortable. The crashing waves and soft chirruping of insects were all that broke the seemingly forbidden silence.

 

When she did finally speak, it wasn't exactly what Jasper has expected. The silence broken by the sudden explosive excitement of both immense delight and approval. “I knew you were real!” It was accompanied by a quick burst of movement that swung around to pull Jasper into a tight hug and simultaneously pin him back into the sand with her figure clumsily straddling his hips.

 

His eyes widened in surprise, lips quirking up with a smile that only seemed to grow the more he gazed up into those pearly blue eyes. His webbed fingers rising up to catch the tangles of red hanging down like the tendrils of a fiery jellyfish. He raised his head and bumped their noses together in a gesture of affection, catching her off guard as her delight sobered into curiosity, watching the interaction with a warm smile of her own, bubbling up to the surface with amused laughter. Her slender fingers gently and much more slowly, reaching up to outline the webbed cartilage of his ears that protruded from the dark sandy tangles of his hair. The waves crashing over them, rising higher up their bodies but neither dared move to avoid the spray of seafoam and salt. “I knew you were real.” The woman murmured softly, the words holding a fondness more controlled than before.


End file.
